10Gal SW? Viable?

AndyL

Large Fish
Oct 22, 2002
908
1
0
47
Calgary AB
#1
Excuse my ignorance... I don't know much about saltwater tanks, so I'll have some reading to do I'm sure...

But, I want to add another tank to my collection (more for freshwater) which would leave my current 10gal available for new endeavors.

Looking through the saltwater toptanks, I was intrigued by the 10gallon SW tanks... So I have to ask, just how viable are they? Is it possible to keep a small saltwater tank? I'd love to be able to keep a clown, but is it possible?

Andy
 

colesea

Superstar Fish
Oct 22, 2002
1,612
0
0
NY USA
#3
If you don't know much about saltwater tanks, the only way to have a sucessful ten gallon one is to RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH. Almost all professional and experienced SW aquarist would never recommened a beginer to the marine side of the hobby ever start with such a small volume of water. If you have to have another tank in your house, purchase the largest one you possibly can 55 gallons or bigger and make that your SW tank, leaving the ten gallon for your freshwater tropicals.

Although ten gallon SW tanks are possible, it does require an immense amount of experise and finess in the experience of fishkeeping, especially into the requirements of your fish (many fish, including clowns, will outgrow a ten gallon tank quite rapidly if properly taken care of) and into the chemical nature of saltwater (which is decidedly different for that of fresh water because the presence of salt and other minerals increase the toxicity of things like ammonia and nitrite, making them more toxic than in fresh water).  

Best recommendation is to READ READ READ READ a whole lot more than just this website.  Try your hand at live plants in your FW ten gallon tank. The challenge of a well planted thriving FW tank is pretty comparible to that of a large, fish only SW one.  While you do that, start to increase your knowledge in the area of marine aquatics and chemistry.
~~Colesea
 

Oct 22, 2002
83
0
0
#4
quite correct colsea...do all your homework Andy..you, your wallet, & some fishies lives, will be thankful you did...a FO (fish only) tank @10 gal very do-able...reef tanks at a small level gets a bit tricky as I am learning...but can be fun...just gets to be expensive...